OC New Vehicle Registrations Up

Orange County new retail light vehicle registrations through September were up 23% to 112,513 compared to a year earlier, according to a report from Newport Beach-based Orange County Automobile Dealers Association.

National vehicle registrations were up 13% through September compared to a year earlier.

New vehicle registrations here increased 35% in the third quarter from the prior period.

The leading brand in OC through September was Toyota, with a 19% market share. Honda was next in line with a 13% share.

The combined share of European brands fell slightly from almost 22% to less than 21%.

Sales of hybrid and electric vehicles were up 66% through September, with an overall market share of almost 7%. The overall best-selling model in OC through September was the hybrid vehicle Toyota Prius.

The biggest decline went to Jaguar, with a 20% decrease for the same time period.

OCADA predicts a 9% increase of new vehicle registrations in 2013. That would be the fourth consecutive annual increase for the county.